Theater-seat annunciator



May 8, 1928. n 1,668,929

G. w. wEsTERvEu-r THEATER SEAT ANNUNCIATOR Filed Jan. 14. 1926 Patented May 8, 19628.

1,668,929 A UNITED STATESPATENT ounce.

G EORGE W. WESTEIWELT, OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI.

THEATER-SEAT ANN UN CIATOR.

Application led January 14, 1926. Serial No. 81,198.

My invention relates to improvements in theater seat annunciators and more particularly to apparatus, for installation in places, having fixed seats, for public gatherings, comprising a iioor plan of the theater, showingr the arrangement of the aisles and seats With a signal device at each representation of each seat and means actuated by each seat in the theater for operating the signal devices at the floor plan.

The object of my invention is to rovide automatically operated means for in icating to theater patrons available, unoccupied, seats and their location.

My improvements consist in the novel. construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter fully, clearly and c'oncisely described, definitely pointed out in my claim and .illustrated by the accompanying drawing, (1 sheet) in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatical perspective of a theater equipped with a seat annunciator embodying my invention.

Figure 2 shows ragmentally a seat frame and seat bottom and an electric switch for actuation by movements of the seat bottom.

Figures 3 and 4 show, respectively, fragmental sectional plan and transverse sectional views of an annunciator.

The theater in the drawing comprises an aisle A, seats B, a screen or stage C, a lobby D, main entrance E, and an annunciator F.

By preference, and as shown, the annun` ciator is located in-advance of the theater room whereby patrons may be apprised of the number and location of unoccupied or available seats prior to their entrance to the theater room, and by further preference is constructed as a cabinet having a translucent front 5, bearing a door plan, or chart, showing the arrangement of the ,seats inthe theater room. Immediately to the rear of each representation of each seat is a signal device, by preference an electric lamp 6, sup ported on a board 7, between which board and the front 5 are septums 8 forming light tight compartments, and extending from lucent front 5, whereby to selectively illuminate each individual seat representation on the chart or floor plan.

From each lamp 6, conductors 9 lead to surrounding each lamp i switches G, at each seatI in the theater.

Each switch comprises a pair of spring cone tacts 10, which are normally relatively en-` the board 7 to the trans-v gaged, or in closed circuit positions, and to which the conductors 9 leading from the lamps 6 are connected. By preference the contacts 10 are carried on a fixture 11, for attachment to the frame 12 of the seat B, as shown in Figure 2, and by further preference is constructed as a box through which is extended a plunger 13 whose upper end is to be engaged by the bottom 14, of the seat B and at whose lower end there is an insulator 15 and within the box and surrounding the plunger is an extensile coil spring 16 which acts to move and hold the insulator 15 to its elevated or cireuitmaking position and the seat bottom 14 to elevated, or unoccupied position. The seat, by preference, is of the type having a hinged bottom and provided with means, such as the stops 17, 'for determining its lowered, or occupied position. As shown, in Figure 2, the stops 17 are separated which indicates the bottom 14 is held, by the ,spring 16, raised above its occupied, or signal operating position.

Obviously, the springs 16 act to hold the seat bottoms 14 and insulators 15 elevated in which position the contacts 10 act to illuminate the lamps 6 in the annunciator, and upon occupancy the seat bottoms through plungers 13 move the insulators between the contacts to break the circuit to extinguish the lamps, and further upon a vacating of the seats the springs 16 again act to restore the seat bottoms and switches to unoccupied and signalling positions.

claim:

A circuit closer for seats having a pivoted body supporting portionand comprising a casing, a plunger mounted in said casing and having an upwardly projecting stem adapted for engagement by the pivoted portion of the seat, a spring in the casing adapted to hold the plunger in raised position for movement by the pivoted seat portion, .said plunger having a downwardly extendingthreaded portion, a sleeve screwed on the threaded portion for vertical adjustment, a pair of fixed contacts spaced on diametrically opposite sides of the sleeve axis, and a pointed insulator carried by the lower end of the sleeve and movable under influence of the plunger into and out of position between and engagement with the fixed contacts.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my GEORGE W. WESTERVELT. 

